Numerous press reports say Venezuela’s president Nicolás Maduro has survived an assassination attempt from opposition forces using drones armed with explosives.
According to some reports the drones detonated overhead during a speech he was making at a military event; other reports say the explosion was more probably caused by a gas tank explosion in a nearby apartment.
Official sources report that the drones were flown towards Maduro as he addressed soldiers in Caracas on Saturday.
According to the Washington Post:
“Information Minister Jorge Rodriguez said the incident took place shortly after 5:30 p.m. as Maduro was celebrating the National Guard’s 81st anniversary. The visibly shaken head of state said he saw a “flying device” that exploded before his eyes. He thought it might be a pyrotechnics display in honor of the event.”
According to the Associated Press:
“Firefighters at the scene of the blast disputed the government’s version of events. Three local authorities said there had been a gas tank explosion inside an apartment near Maduro’s speech where smoke could be seen streaming out of a window. They provided no further details on how they had reached that conclusion.”
